Ergon

Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

Details

Users say
(6)

4 out of 5 stars

Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

In Greece, the Ergon chain of deli-restaurants are spacious, airy affairs, with vast communal tables, sumptuous displays of olives and streaming sunshine. This is something that doesn’t quite translate to London – not even this petite prime location next to Selfridges. Put up with the squeeze, though, and there’s lots to like: sleek industrial-chic design, a basement deli full of beautifully packaged Greek artisan products, and a kitchen overseen by Athenian celeb-chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos.

It has been a lightning-fast hit with the capital’s homesick Greeks: there was a full (and almost entirely Hellenic) house for lunch on our visit. There’s an all-Greek wine list, mojitos made with chios mastiha liqueur, and a modern mezédes menu (all of which is designed to be shared) that’ll banish memories of day-glo meze dips forever.

Squid was grilled until perfectly tender, while a dish of fava (yellow split pea) purée topped with cured pork was satisfyingly smooth and smoky. A modern take on the classic saganáki (oat-rolled naxos gravièra cheese with rose petal syrup) looked great but was served far too cold. The flavoursome crunch of a simple Cretan-style barley rusk salad went some way towards making amends.

The Athenian café-culture vibe here lends itself more to an informal lunch or post-splurge evening snack than a long, leisurely dinner, but either way Ergon is another bold step forward for Greek cuisine in the capital.

Can't write a glowing review here, sadly. The food was nice, not particularly hot on the plate, but good quality and very well priced. The service however, was horrendous.

There were 3 people on duty the evening I went, 1 of whom was obviously new and had not a clue what to do - we couldn't even order a bottle of water from him/her; understandable, but not ideal. 1 was not an awful waiter, but clearly very inexperienced and totally lacking in any sort of warmth or charm whatsoever. The final bloke though, is one of the least pleasant people I've ever come across. As paying customers, you expect even a little courtesy - this guy was rude, belligerent, arrogant, a really nasty piece of work. At the point of paying the bill we had an issue with a dish that was sent back due to being what I would call a health hazard, and hadn't been taken off - something you'd expect. He was made to get up from having supper with his mates (while on duty!!) so he could give us earful about how little we know about "seasoning," before telling us to get out.

We were nothing but polite, and this guy could not have been any more rude. I'm not hard to please and regard myself as easy-going, it takes rather a lot to irk me, but I was irked.

Even if this were a michelin starred restaurant, I could never go back. He ruined a perfectly nice meal.

Ergon was a let down - we had a terrible experience.... not because of the food, but because we were so poorly treated as paying customers. I was shocked.

I came here for my birthday dinner with family. My mum was given some fish that was off. She quietly returned it and didn't want to cause a fuss. She had one bite.

The manager refused to take it off the bill, and stated, "just because you didn't like it, doesn't mean you don't have to pay for it". Apparently my mum "doesn't know" what she's talking about, and it was to do with the way it was seasoned. My mum explained that the fish did not taste right. He argued and started shouting, he then went on to swear and told us he "didn't want our service" and to get off "his" property.... I mean.... whattt?!

There was obviously something going on, but being a non-fuss and easy going family that just wanted to have a nice evening out - we left with a very bad taste in our mouths.

Such a shame. The food is nice there, it's a great location.

I've been dining in London for most of my life - it's a passion of mine... but I have NEVER come across behaviour like this. It was unprofessional, rude and offensive.

Just for the record, a friend of mine (who is the head chef of a leading restaurant), was appauled and had never experienced anything like it throughout her 20 year career,

Contemporary well designed space, excellent service and fantastic food cooked only with Greek ingredients. Don't expect ketchup, it's not Greek. A bit pricey but worth it. If you are not going out for dinner very often is definitely a place to try out.

Ergon has the absolute combination: great food in great prices. We go there almost every Friday night, the food is always tasty and soothing with great flavors. Advice to the people that want to go to Ergon: don't choose only the meze to share, try also the mains like the lamb that is absolutely amazing!
Also, make a reservation if you are more than 2-3 people :)

Brilliant food made for sharing. We followed the advice of our brilliant and energetic Greek waitress who helped us navigate and shortlist dishes from a simple yet inspiring menu. All of the dishes were impeccably presented; save for the jeans and trainers most of the staff wear each plate could very much feel at home in a Michelin starred cuisine. The fava dish to share was divine and so was the greek salad which was chopped to perfection. We had a hard time choosing our main and opted for the gyro with a portion of fresh hand-cut fries on the side and the slow cooked lamp. Both were cooked to perfection and were enough to share between 3. The greek coffee cheesecake was a firm favourite amongst the group and is highly recommended. Before you leave, make sure you pop into the deli downstairs to stock up on feta spread, cheese, handmade jam and a series of other Greek goodies.
Will definitely go back soon to continue exploring the menu!!!